Montgomery Couny jail escapee caught in north Harris County

Montgomery County escapee Britt Privatte is back in jail after he was caught in north Harris County early this morning.

Privatte was seen walking from a local hotel just after midnight off the North Freeway at Cypresswood. Officers arrived and say when he saw them, he bolted into some nearby woods.

"As they were going through the woods with K-9s, they spotted the suspect in a tree," said Lt. Dan Norris with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. "The suspect jumped from the tree and ran from the officers."

A police dog took Privatte down and officers took him into custody.

Privatte had a dog bite on the leg. He was treated at the hospital and released and is now back here at the Montgomery County Jail.

The 40-year-old convicted bank robber had been on the run since March 17 after he scaled the wall in the jail's recreation yard, allegedly with the help of some inmates.

"I'm glad they did catch him, you know? Because all my grandkids are out here playing and stuff," said nearby resident Otis Norman.

Norman and his neighbor, Raul Ricaldi, are both breathing easier today. They've been on edge since they heard about the escape.

"You don't know if they're child molesters or people who rape or robbers," Ricaldi said.

The sheriff's office, meanwhile, is looking into what went wrong, conducting a full review of jail procedures.

"I anticipate tightening security and trying to prevent this from happening again," said Lt. Norris.

Throughout the investigation and search for Privatte, 11 inmates of the Montgomery County Jail were charged with hindering apprehension. One person from the Cleveland area was charged with tampering with evidence. They are also looking to see if anyone on the outside helped him.